Viral hepatitis is a worldwide problem of paramount concern in public health. A decade of research has led to the recent availability of hepatitis B vaccine and has raised unprecedented hopes of reducing hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, especially in the perinatal period. A diversity of research scientists and physicians are studying unresolved questions in virology, molecular biology, posttransfusion hepatitis, epidemiology, prophylaxis, immunopathology of liver disease and primary hepatocellular carcinoma. For periodic assessment of the rapid progress being made in this multidisciplinary field, the triennial hepatitis symposia have proven valuable to both the active investigators and the physician-specialists engaged in clinical care of patients with liver disease. The published proceedings have served as the most useful resource to the scientific community. The 1984 International Symposium on Viral Hepatitis is scheduled for March 8-10, 1984, at the San Francisco Hilton Hotel. It would provide the forum for investigators and clinicians to share their experiences, concepts and controversies in this field. The published proceedings will provide a synthesis of the up-to-date information exchanged at the Symposium. The UCSF Organizing Committee and an International Advisory Committee have designed the proposed Symposium in keeping with the scope of the previous meetings. We are seeking principal cosponsorship for this Symposium from those U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agencies whose mission is relevant to the diverse areas embraced by this single symposium, i.e. from NCI, NHLBI, NIAID, NIADDK, FDA (Bureau of Biologics), and FIC.